Couple on trial for allowing minors to drink alcohol

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - The trial is underway for a couple from Falmouth accused of allowing underage drinking at a party at their home.

Barry and Paula Spencer are each facing 9-counts of allowing minors to drink alcohol. If convicted they face some hefty fines.

As the trial started in Portland District Attorney Stephanie Anderson told jurors that Barry and Paula Spencer did not provide alcohol or encourage the teenagers to use it. But she said they did allow minors to possess and consume alcohol on their property.

"They knew that underage drinking was going on there, to a large extent, and they allowed it. They allowed it to happen, they knew it was going on, they did not stop it", said District Attorney Stephanie Anderson.

The Spencers were hosting a party back in June for the Falmouth High School baseball team which had just won the state championship. Their son was one of the team's captains. The lacrosse team also won the state championship that day and members from that team also showed up at the party.

The defense claims the party quickly spiraled out of control to nearly four times the size of what it was intended to be. Attorneys for the Spencers told jurors the couple did all they could to prevent alcohol use at the party.

"If the kids had alcohol in a backpack or something, they would take it out, take it into the house and they would dump it in the sink. You have to ask yourself at the end of this case are those the actions of somebody who is really allowing a party to take place with minors consuming alcohol", Walter McKee, attorney for Barry Spencer, told jurors.

The trial is not expected to last that long. The prosecutor told jurors she expects the case to be in their hands by Wednesday.